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(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 1.

0. E. SNEIDER, BREBGH LOADING MAGAZINE FIRE ARM. No. 417,594.

Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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' 0. E. SNEIDER. 1

BREECH LOADING MAGAZINE FIRE ARM.` No. 417,594. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.1-

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. E. SNEIDER.

BREEGH LOADING MAGAZINE FIRE ARM.

No. 417,594-, Patented Dec. 1'7, 1889.y

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CHARLES E. SNEIDER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARTIN G'ILLET GILL, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH-LQADl-NG MAGAZINE F|RE'ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,594, dated December 17, 1889. Application filed August 24, 1889. Serial llo, 821,880. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES EDWARD SNEIDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech- Loading Magazine Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of breechloading fire-arms which are provided with a cartridge-magazine in the form of a tube eX- tending along and parallel to the barrel, from which the charges are mechanically conveyed into the breech-frame and then thrust into the gun-barrel. As heretofore constructed such breech-loaders have been imperfect, unsatisfactory, and objectionable in operation, owing t0 the presence of complicated breech mechanism and the several movements required to load and fire the gun, and more' 2c over this type of magazine hre-arm has not come into any general use, owing to the difficulty of using Xed ammunition comprising metallic shells containing the charges, which shells must be ejected after firing the gun.

The present invention has for its object to provide a novel repeating fire-arm of the type alluded to by which cartridges can be fired with great rapidity and the empty shells disposed of with ease and facility through the medium of simple, efficient, and practicable mechanism having the least possible number of movements for loading, firing, and ejecting.

The invention also has for its object to provide a magazine fire-arm with a novel breechblock having devices foi` engaging opposite sides of the iianged base of a cartridge to push it into the gunbarrel and pull the empty shell therefrom and place it in coincidence with an ejector opening in one side d V4o wall of the breech-frame.

The invention also has for its object to provide a magazine tire-arm with means whereby a trigger by its rearward movement operates to move a breech-block to eXtraMan empty shell from the barrel, to insert a fresh cartridge laterally into the breech-frame in-engagement with the breech-block, and to eject by suoli lateral insertion the empty shell.

The invention also has for its object to provide a magazine fire-arm 'wherein a single trigger by its rearward movement cocks the hammer, moves the 'breech-block to extract an empty shell from the barrel, and operates an inserter-ejector arm that serves to insert a fresh cartridge into engagement with the breech-block, to eject the empty shell therefrom through a lateral ejector-orifice in one side of the breech-frame, and to dog the cartridges in the magazine.

The invention also has for its object to pr'o- 6o vide a repeating tire-arm with means whereby the rearward movement and release of a single trigger cocks the hammer, supplies a fresh cartridge, ejects the empty shell` and forces the fresh cartridge into the barrel.

-The invention also has for its obj ect to provide novel means whereby the movement of a fresh cartridge in to engagement with a pushing and pulling breech-block ej ects the empty shell which is engaged with the breech-block. 7o

The invention also has for its objects to provide novel, simple, and efficient means for locking the breech-block against recoil when the gun isriired; to provide a novel construction of devices for cooking the hammer, re- 'ciprocating the breech-block, and operating an inserter-eject-or arm that inserts the cartridge into the breech-frame` ej ects the empty shell, and dogs the cartridges in the magazine; to provide novel means whereby the initial 89 movement of a hammer-cookinglever removes the inserter-ejector arm from its dogging action on the cartridges in the magazine to permit a cartridge to pass into the path of the arm and be inserted into the breech-frame 8 5 for loading the gun, and, finally, to provide novel means for pivotally supporting parts of the breech mechanism and to otherwise improve the construction and usefulness of repeating ire-arms.

To accomplish all these objects my invenltion involves the features of construction,

arrangement, or combination of devices and principles of operation hereinafter specifically described, and then set forth in the claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a right-hand side elevation of a magazine breech-loading fire-arm embodying my invention. Fig 2 is a left-hand side eleroo vation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line c 0c, Fig. 1,0n alarger scale. Fig. Liis a side elevation of the breech with the side wall or face-plate omitted and showing the parts in normal position. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the hammer cocked and the hammer-cocking trigger held back as it would appear prior to being released for its automatic return movement; Fig. 6, a similar view, the breech-block being omitted, the hammer cocked, and the hammer-cocking trigger in. its normal position; Fig. 7, a detail perspective view of the breechblock looking at its duplex hooked end, the tiring-pin being separated therefrom; Fig. 8,

detail perspective views of the cocking-trig ger, cartridge inserter-ejector arm, the hammer, the hooked slide-arm of the hammer, and the oscillatory plat-e that relieves the inserter-ejector arm from its dogging action on the cartridges in the magazine. a detail perspective view looki'ng into the breech-frame to show t-he stud-bearings or journals' cast therewith. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view lookin g at the inside of the detachable Aside wall or face-plate of the breech-frame; and Fig. 11 is a detail transverse sectional view through the receiving and ej ecting orices of the breech-f ram e, showing a modification.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The num eral 1 indicates the metallic breechframe ot' the fire-arm, 2 the barrel, and 3 the tubular cartridge-magazine extending long"- tudinally along the barrel, parallel thereto, and having its rear open end abutting against a lateral hollow enlargement f-LL of the breechframe.

The barrel is detachably secured to the breech-frame by a locking device 5, so that the barrel, carrying with it the magazine, can

be quickly and conveniently removed and replaced. The magazine is pivoted at or near its front end to the barrel, and is furnished with a longitudinal slot 6, for inspecting its interior, and with an internal spring 7, acting on a plunger or follower to feed the cartridges y rearward. These several features constitute the subject-matter of a separate application for Letters Patent liled of even date herewith, Serial No.f321,881, and, as they are not herein claimed, a morecomplete description is unnecessary further than to say that the spring of the magazine tends to press the cartridges into the lateral hollow enlargement to be acted on by the ejecting, loading, and firing mechanism, hereinafter explained.

The hammer 8 is shown exposed, but obviously can be concealed by omitting its thumbpiece, and itis mounted `on a stud-bearing or journal 9, and isactedon by one arm of the mainspring lO, which acts by its other arm on the hammer-releasing trigger l2, which is mounted on a stud-bearin g or journal 11. The cooking-trigger 13 is mounted on a stud-bearing or journal 14, and is provided at its upper Fights,

bottom wall of the breech-frame and limit the forward swinging movement of the lever, such lug being acted on by the free rear end of an arm 23, pivoted at its front end and acted on by a strong duplex-armed spring 24, carried by a stud 25, which tends to throw the arm downward, and thereby swing the locking-lever forward to advance the breech-block. The upper end of the locking-lever enters a notch 26 in the under side of thebreech-block to reciprocate the same, the front wall of the notch being inclined, as at 27, and acting as a shoulder to abut the lever when the breech-block is in position for firing, thereby preventing it from recoiling. The locking-lever is held or locked against any rearward movement independent of movement of the hammer-cooking trigger by reason of the arm 19 resting against the front or breast of the said trigger, as shown in Fig. 4.

The breech-block moves lengthwise in rectilinear guideways on the breech frame in a line parallel with the axis of the gun-barrel, and a spring firing-pin 2S is carried by and moves on the breech-block, its position being suchthat it will be driven forward by the hammer when the latter is released by the hammer-releasing trigger, thereby liring the cartridge. The breech-block at its forward end is provided with an upper and a vlower hooked catch 29 for engaging opposit-e side portions of the ianged base of a cartridge-shell. These hooked catches may be rigid; but l prefer to make one or both yielding for the bett-er engagement of the cartridge with the two catches. These catches extend longitudinally from the breech-block, andthe constructionA and arrangement are such that a cartridge .moved sidewise into the breech-frame when the breech-block is retracted, as in: Fig. 5, will interlock by its flanged base with the hooked catches, .whereby the reciprocating movement of the breechblock will reciprocate the cartridge-shell to push the cartridge into the gun-barrel and after firing to extract the empty shell from the barrel and move it back into position to be ejected sidewise when a fresh cartridge is inserted and engaged with the bree'chblock.

The provision of an upper and a lower hooked catch to engage opposite side or edge portions of the flange on the cartridge-shell is an advantage, for they serve to push and pull the shell in a direct line without danger of binding, as might occur with a single catch to engage only one side edgeof the shellflange.

The side wall of the breechframe at the inner portion of the lateral hollow enlarge- IOO IIO

ment 4 is provided with a transverse cartridge-receiving orifice 30, and the opposite side wall is provided with a transverse shell discharging or eject-ing orifice 31. These oriices are in line, one directly opposite-the other, so that a fresh cartridge inserted laterally through the receiving-orifice by an inserter-ejector, hereinafter described, will disengage the empty shell held bythe hooked catches of the breech-block and eject such shell sidewise through `the discharging or ej ecting oriiice.

The device for inserting the cartridge consists of what I term au inserter-ejectoi" 32, in that it acts to insert a cartridge into the breech-frame and to eject t-he empty shell, and as here shown it is composed of a rectangular iiattened head on one arm of what may be termed a bell crank or elbow lever 33, pivoted at 34, and having its other arm extending through a slot 36 in the breech-frame into the path of the hooked or shouldered end of a slide-arm 37, which is pivot-ally connected, as at 33, with the hammer S in such manner that when the latter is cocked the slide-arm is carried backward, its hook or shoulder acts on the arm 35 and theinserter-ejector 32 is thrown inward, so that a cartridge pressed from the magazine into the hollow enlargement 4 in coincidence with the receiving-orifice 30 is inserted into the breech-frame andengaged with the hooked catches of the breech-block. lf a cartridge has been previously tired, the inserted cartridge, under the iniiuence of the inserterejector,will eject the empty shell through the discharging' or ejecting orifice 3l. The normal position ot' t-he inserter-ejector is such that its front inner edge projects into the line of the cartridges in the magazine, and therefore the inserter-ejector operates to dog the rear cartridge and prevents it issuing from the magazine until the required moment the gun` is to be loaded. The bell-crank 33 is acted on` by a spring' 39 between its pivot 34 and the inserter-ejeetor, which spring tends to throw the latter outward from its dogg-ing action on the cartridges in the magazine, but is prevented from so doing unt-il a certain time by the arm 35 abutting a lug 40 on an oscillatory plate 4l, eccentrically pivoted to the breech-frame at 42. lVhile the cockingtrigger is at rest its cam--lug 15 presses on the lower edge ot' the oscillatory plate 41 in front of the pivot 42 and moves the lug 40 rearward, thus causing the arm 35 to beheld slightly back and the inserter-ejector to be held in its clogging position against the tension of the spring 39 .of the bell-crank 33. To relieve the inserter-ejector from its dogging action by the initial rearward movementl of the cooking-trigger 13, the cam -lug 15 is moved away from contact with the plate 41 the instant the cocking-trigger commences suoli rearward movement, thereby freeing the arm 35 from the restraint of the plate 4 1 and permitting the spring 39 to throw the in-l rear cartridge in the magazine, so that said cartridge'is then pressed back into the hollow enlargement 4 in `coincidence with the receiving-oriiice 30 in the .side wall of the breech-frame. The cooking-trigger, cont-inuing its rearward movement, causes the locking-lever 20 to swing back and retract the breech-block, simultaneously with which the hammer is cocked and its slide-arm 37 drawn back, so that its hook or shoulder 43 strikes the arm of the bell-crank 33 and throws the inserter-ejector 32 suddenly inward, thereby inserting' a fresh cartridge into engagement with the hooked catches of the breechblock and ejecting the empty shell of a previously-fired cartridge through the discharging or ejecting orifice 31. The main orcocking trigger being released from the'pressure of the finger, the spring 24, acting on the arm 23, restores the locking-arm, breech-block, and main or cooking trigger to their normal position of rest, with the locking-arm operating to lock the breech-block against recoil when the cartridge is tired. At the same time the cam-lug 15, acting on the plate 41, moves the lug rearward into correct position to again hold the inserter-ejector in its clogging position; but this cannot occur until the hammer is lowered, for when the hammer is cocked the slide-arm 37 so holds the bellcrank 33 that the inserter-ejector is .retained at the limit of its inward movement, in which position it fills or nearly fills the cartridgereceiving orifice 30, and byits innerface acts ICO as a guide for the correct. sliding movement of the cartridge into the bore of the gun-barrel. The breech-frame is cast integral on its interior with the journals or stud-bearings 9,

v11,14, and 20, that support the hammer,

triggers, and loeking-lever,and suchjournals or stud-bearings project so as to enter into and be supported at one end by the socketbearings 44, 45, 4G, and 47, east 0r otherwise formed integral with the inside face of the IIO detachable side wall or face-plate of the.

breech-frame. The journals or stud-bearings,

being cast with the breech-frame,not onlyA materially reduce the cost of manufacture, but provide permanent bearings from which the parts can be moved, leaving the bearings in correct position for such parts when replaced and avoiding all danger of mislaying or losing pivots when taking the breech meehanism apa-rt. The hammer-releasing trigger is operated when desired to cause the hammer to strike the tiring-pin and thereby fire the cartridge.

The mechanism described, which is, comparatively speaking, quite simple and comprises few parts or pieces, provides for rapid loading and firing, and moreover the entire operation of inserting a cartridge, ejecting the empty shell, cooking the hammer, and introducing the fresh cartridge into the gunbarrel is eected by a single trigger and by a single movement thereof under the action of the finger. The operation mentioned can be accomplished by one finger while the gun is at the shoulder in position for firing without materially interfering with the aim or sight, and in this respect my invention is desirable, important, and useful.

The several parts of the breech mechanism can be easily removed and replaced by an unskillful person, and in this there is a marked advantage.

For the convenience of sportsmen I prefer to make the gun-barrel and magazine detachable and to so mount the magazine that it can be raised above the barrel to inspect its interior through the slot and for charging the magazine; but I do not confine myself to such specific constructions, for it is possible to permanently fix the barrel and to otherwise construct and arrange the magazine,it being essential, however, toso place the magazine that the cartridges therein will be correctly delivered to the receivingorifice of the breech-frame.

It the hammer be exposed, as shown, it can be cocked at anytime without disturbing the cooking-trigger.

In Figs. 8 and 11 I show a spring-finger 4S, to press upon the cartridge at its base for retaining it in proper position to be operated upon by the inserter-ejector; but this springfinger is not indispensable. The spring-finger is also indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and, as shown, it is arranged in line with the axis of the magazine, so that the cartridge pressed from the latter is delivered under the spring-finger, where it is yieldingly retained until forced laterally by the action of the inserter-ejector.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A breech-loading fire-arm having a cartridge-receiving orifice in one side, a shellejecting orifice in the opposite side, a movable breech-block between the orifices, a cartridge inserter-ejector movable into the receiving-orifice to insert a cartridge and eject the empty shell, and a main trigger whichsimultaneously moves the breech-block rearward and throws the inserter-ej ector'laterally inward to insert the cartridge and eject, the empty shell, and a cartridge-magazine which delivers the cartridges to the receiving-orifice, substantially as described.

2. In a magazine breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a breech-trame having in one side a cartridge-receiving orifice and in the opposite side a shell-ejecting orifice, a sliding breech-block, a laterally-movable cartridge inserter-ejector, a main trigger which by its rearward movement causes the breechblock to slide rearward and effects a lateral motion of the inserter-ejector to insert a cartridge and eject the empty shell, and a spring operating to restore the main trigger to its forward position and advance the breech-block to push the cartridge into the barrel, substantially as described.

3. In a magazine breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a breech-frame having a cartridge-receiving orifice in one side and a shell-ejecting orifice in the opposite side, a breech-block, a cartridge nserter-ejector movable into the cartridge receiving orifice, swinging hammer, and a hammer-cooking trigger which by one rearward movement actuates the breech-block, cocks the. hammer, and moves the inserter-ejector laterally inward to in sert a cartridge and eject the empty shell, substantially as described.

4. In a-magazine breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a breech-frame having a cartridge-receiving orice and a shell-ejecting orifice, a breech-block sliding between the two orifices, a cartridge inserter-ejector movable into the receiving-orifice, a hammer, a hammer-cocking trigger which by one rearward movement slides the breech-block back, cocks the hammer, and moves the inserter- `ejector laterally inward to insert a cartridge and eject the empty shell, and a spring which automatically restores the cocking-trigger to its forward position and advances the breechblock and cartridge forward to push the latter into the barrel, substantially as described.

5. In a magazine breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a breech-frame having a cartridge-receiving orifice and a shell-ejecting orifice, a breech-block sliding between the orifices, a laterally-m ovin g cartridge inserterejector adapted to enter the receiving-orifice, a hammer having an arm to operate and move the inserter-ejector to insert a cartridge and ej ect the empty shell as the hammer is moved to its cocked position, and a hammer-cooking trigger which by one movement simultaneously cocks the hammer and moves the breechblock rearward, substantially as described.

6. In a magazine breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a breech-frame having a cartridge-receiving orifice in one side wall and a shell-ejecting orifice in its opposite side wall, a breech-block sliding between the orifices and having a hooked front end, a laterally-movable cartridge inserter-ejector for inserting a cartridge through the receivingorifice into engagement with the hooked end of the breech-block and by such engagement disengaging and ej ecting the emptjT shell, and means for simultaneously operating the breech-block and inserter-ejector, substantially as described.

7. In a magazine breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a breech-frame having a cartridge-receivin g orifice and a shell-ej ecting orifice, a breech-block sliding between the two orifices and having an upper and a lower hooked catch at its front end to engage opposite side portions of a cartridge-shell,`

and a cartridge inserter-ejector movableinto the receiving-orifice for inserting a cartridge through the receiving-ori tice into engagement with the two hooked catches and by such movement disengaging and ejecting the empty shell, substantially asdescribed.

S. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a sliding breech-block, a locking'- lever for reciprocating and locking the breechblock against recoil, a hammer, a hammercocking trigger having a loose engagement with the locking-lever and by its rearward movement simultaneously cooking the hammer and moving the breech-block, and a spring operating to throw the locking-lever, cocking-trigger, and breech-block forward, substantially as described.

9. In a breech-loading lire-arm, the combination of a sliding breech-block, a lockinglever loosely engaging' the breech-block and having a rearward-projecting arm, and a trigger having its front breast abutting' said arm to lock the lever and provided with a hook overhanging and engaging the arm for swinging the locking-arm rearward when the trigger is moved back, substantially as described.

10. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a sliding breech-block, a lockinglever loosely engaging the breech-block and having a rearward-extending arm, and a hammer-cooking trigoer having a front breast abutting the arm on the locking-lever and provided with a hook overhangin g and loosely engaging said arm and with a rearward-projecting toe and a hammer cocked by the toe when the cooking-hammer moves rearward,

v substantially as described.

l1. In a breech-loading lire-arm, the combination of a sliding breech-block, a lockinglever loosely engaging the under side of the breech-block, a hammer, and a cooking-trigger acting directly on the locking-lever and hammer and by its rearward movement simultaneously cooking the hammer and retracting the locking-lever and breech-block, substantially as described.

l2. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a breech-block having a notch in its under side, a locking-lever engaging the notch and having a lug and arm at its lower end, a pivoted spring-pressed arm acting on the lug, a hammer, and a cooking-trigger having a hook engaging the arm of the lever and a toe engaging the hammer and by its rearward movement simultaneously cooking the hammer and retracting the locking-lever and breech-block, substantially as described.

13. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination, with a breech-frame having a cartridge-receiving orifice and a shell-ejecting orifice, of a lever carrying at its front end a cartridge inserter-ejector, and the hammer having a slide-arm to operate on the rear end of the inserter-ejector lever when the hammer is cocked and hold the inserter-ejector in the receiving-orifice to guide the cartridge into the barrel, substantially as described.

14. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination, with a breech-frame, of the pivoted lever having at one end a head to insert a cartridge and at the other end an arm, a spring operating'to press the head outward, and a hammer having a hooked or shouldered slide-arm which acts on the arm of the lever and presses the cartridge-inserting head inward when the hammer is cocked, substantially as described. I

15. In a breech-loading lire-arm, the combination of the breech-frame having a lateral side enlargement and a cartridge-receiving orifice and a pivoted lever having at its front. a cartridge-inserting head located in said enlargement and at its rear an arm and a hammer having a hooked or shouldered slide-arm to engage the lever and press the cartridgeinserting' head inward when the hammer is cocked, substantially as described.

16. The combination, in a breech-loading fire-arm, of atubular magazine along the barrel, a breech-frame having a cartridge-receiving orifice and a shell-ejecting orifice, and a cartridge inserter-ejector located at one side of the `breech-frame, and which also dogs the cartridges in the magazine, substantially as described.

17. The combination, in a breech-loading lire-arm, of a tubular magazine along the barrel, ,a breech-frame having on one side wall a lateral hollow enlargement and a cartridgereceiving orilice and in the opposite side a shell-ejecting orifice, a cartridge inserterejector which serves to dog a cartridge in the magazine and to insert a cartridge and eject the empty shell, andmeans for first relieving the inserter-ejector from its' dogging action and then moving it laterally inward to insert a cartridge andsimultaneously therewith eject the empty Vshell by the action of the inserted cartridge under the influence of the inserterejector, substantially as described.

18. The combination, in a breech-loader, of a magazine on the barrel, a spring-pressed pivoted lever having at its front end a cartridge inserter-ejector which dogs the cartridges in the magazine, an oscillatory plate acting on the lever to hold the inserter-ejector in its dogging position, and a trigger operating to move the plate from its position of restraint on the lever, substantially as described.

19. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a breechframe having a removable side wall or faceplate and cast integral with lateral stud-bearings or j onrnals for the oscillating or movable triggers and breech-block-locking lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afIiXed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. SNEIDER. NVitnesses:

PERCY B. HILLS, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD.

IOO 

